This lesson covers 30 C2 phrasal verbs on Food, Sleep & Comfort. At Proficiency you must distinguish particles that change meaning subtly and match register across formal and informal contexts. Complete the runner, then use the glossary below to consolidate each verb. Detailed explanations appear in Review mode once you finish the set.
fish out sth or fish sth out
informal to pull or take something out of a bag or pocket, especially after searching
She fished a spoon out of the kitchen drawer.
fold-up adj
a fold-up chair can be made into a smaller, neater and flatter shape by folding it
We brought fold-up chairs for the outdoor picnic.
water down sth or water sth down
to make an idea or opinion less strong in order to make more people agree with it, or to make a plan or suggestion more acceptable
The committee watered down the menu policy to avoid complaints.
wash down sth or wash sth down
to drink something while you are eating food or taking medicine in order to help you swallow it
She washed the tablets down with a glass of water.
wolf down sth or wolf sth down
to eat something very quickly because you are very hungry
After training, the players wolfed down their pasta.
foldaway adj
a foldaway bed has parts that can be folded so that it is smaller and can be stored somewhere
The guest room has a foldaway bed for visitors.
work off sth or work sth off
to do something energetic to stop yourself becoming fat after eating a lot of food
A brisk walk helped him work off the heavy lunch.
fill up sb or fill sb up
if food fills someone up, it makes them feel as if they have eaten enough
The large bowl of soup filled her up.
eat up sth or eat sth up
to eat all the food you have been given
The children ate up every vegetable on their plates.
fry-up n
a quick meal made of fried food
They stopped for a fry-up after the early train.
warm up sb or warm sb up
to make a group of people who are going to watch a performance start to enjoy themselves by entertaining them for a short time before the performance
The comedian warmed the diners up before the cooking show.
take along sb/sth or take sb/sth along
to take someone or something with you when you go somewhere
Take along a bottle of water for the picnic.
warm-up n
when a performer makes a group of people who are going to watch a performance start to enjoy themselves by entertaining them for a short time before the performance
The host’s warm-up entertained the guests before the demonstration.
take down sth or take sth down
to remove a large temporary structure from a place by separating it into pieces and taking the pieces away
The volunteers took down the food tent after the event.
warm up sth or warm sth up
to heat food that has already been cooked
Warm up the soup gently before serving it.
drink up (sth) or drink (sth) up
to completely finish your drink
Please drink up your water before we leave.
devote sth to sth/doing sth
to use all of something, for example your life or your time, for a particular purpose
He devoted the afternoon to preparing a special family meal.
finish off sb or finish sb off
to make someone so tired, weak, or unhappy that they are unable to continue what they were doing
The long walk home finished him off after dinner.
take away sb or take sb away
to take someone with you when you stay somewhere for a short time
They took the children away for a weekend at the coast.
water down sth or water sth down
to add water to a drink, especially an alcoholic drink
The bartender watered down the juice with sparkling water.
take-off n
imitation
The café’s vegetarian burger was a take-off on a classic meat dish.
finish up (sth) or finish (sth) up
to eat or drink all of what you are eating or drinking
Finish up your tea before it gets cold.
knock out sb or knock sb out
to make someone become unconscious or to make someone fall asleep
The strong medicine knocked him out for the evening.
soak up sth or soak sth up
if a dry substance soaks up a liquid, it absorbs it
The bread soaked up the soup quickly.
kick off sth or kick sth off
to remove your shoes by shaking your feet
She kicked off her shoes before sitting down to eat.
serve up sth or serve sth up
to put food on plates and in dishes for people to eat
The chef served up a warm vegetable soup.
cut out sth or cut sth out
to stop eating or drinking something, usually in order to improve your health
She cut out sugary drinks to improve her health.
slice up sth or slice sth up
to cut or divide something into parts
Slice up the apples before adding them to the salad.
gobble down/up sth or gobble sth down/up
informal to eat very quickly
The hungry children gobbled down their sandwiches.
to start with
to begin
To start with, wash your hands before preparing food.